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I wouldn't object IF...
there was a halfway reasonable chance of actually getting something worked on at an "official" event machine shop.
Our first year I personally waited for several hours at Nationals for a fifteen minute job to be done. It seems the team that got there ahead of me needed their entire frame rewelded. We missed a practice session as a result. Fortunately that was all we missed. This was at the best shop I ever saw at a competition.
I don't know about other venues but here in LA you can expect to NOT have ANY machine shop availability UNLESS there are some drastic changes from last year. Fortunately we didn't need shop services, but there are some pretty ugly stories from those who did.
I'm not saying that there isn't a shop, but it was so overloaded that there was no way you could count on getting anything done there. Not to mention that you had to be driven over there in a "shuttle" that came once in a blue moon.
Last year we had about 40 teams and at least half were experienced. This year there will be 80 teams and twice as many rookies as last year. I am planning on spending most of my time there helping other teams get their machines running and I am NOT looking forward to the line for the machine shop. Especially when FIRST has basically shut out the possibility of bringing your own.
As for spares, while that is possible for some obviously vulnerable components, in many cases you just can't know what will break. A few years ago I talked to a guy whose team lost the finals at Nationals because a little tension spring broke at a critical moment. That spring had never given them trouble before and they had been to at least one regional prior to Nats.
It's sort of like that Dilbert cartoon where the pointy haired boss asks Dilbert what kind of unforseen problems he expects and how long will they take to fix.
We'll bring along just about all the tools we can carry and if they are not in our fists in use any team is welcome to borrow them or our expertise. But we will not be bringing our own mill, lathe or welder, and somethings just can't be replaced by a vise and a drill motor.
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Christopher H Husmann, PE
"Who is John Galt?"
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